Handle carton



Feb. 24,1959 P. c. COLLURA 2,874,870 I HANDLE CARTON Filed April 26, 1957 f nus 712. 57 Peier C Collura w mmg (w United States Patent HANDLE CARTON Peter C; 'Collura, Waltham, Mass, assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 26, 1957, Serial No. 655,299 5 Claims. (6]. 220-112) The present invention relates to handle cartons and more particularly to cartons of the type'adapted to enclose a group of articles by being wrapped around the group, the carton blank having end portions which are secured afterthe articles have been enclosed.

Among the principal objects of the invention are to provide a carton of this type which is strong and sturdy as well as economical to manufacture-and which can be assembled and secured around a group of articles in a very simple, operation, requiring no complicated carton treating or forming machinery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton of this type which may be formed from a single strip of paperboard, and having a two-ply handle each part of which is formed as a portion of a two-section top wall of the carton and one of the handle parts being formed wholly within the contour of a top wall, making more economical use of the material employed.

An additionalobject of the invention is to provide a carton of the class referred to including a multi-ply handle which can be completed at the same time the carton is being assembled around a group of articles, and in which the handle Will be formed in a fiat position against the top of the package and will normally remain in such fiat position until a purchaser of the package in a retail store wishes to raise the handle and carry out the package.

Additional objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the carton as it appears as a completed package enclosing a group of articles, such as filled cans, and with the handle in a position lying flat against the top wall;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the carton and showing the handle in raised position; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the carton blank laid out flat.

in the merchandising of cans of products, such as foods and beverages, it is desirable to have a plurality of cans in a package, a convenient number being six cans. This is a unit group that can readily be handled by the retail purchaser and it is important to make it easy for the purchaser to lift and carry the package. Hence, it is customary in many cases to provide cartons with handles. Another important consideration is to employ a form of handle carton that may be handled easily by high-speed loading mechanism designed to place a group of filled cartons into shipping containers. If the handle of the carton is one that normally extends upward additional.

machine elements are required to accommodate the handle and to fold it over after the packages have been loaded into a shipping case. Handles that normallylie flat on the top wall of a carton thus simplify machine handling and, in addition, provide packages that are easy to handle and arrange in stacks in retail stores.

The present invention provides a carton which not only affords the advantages above referred to butalso has the advantage of being economical Without any substantial P we reduction in carrying strength for a given. grade of paper- 7 board.

Referring to Fig. 3, the carton blank is shown as being formed of a single strip of folding paperboard suitably cut and creased to provide a bottom panel 5, side wall panels 6 and 7, and top wall sections 8 and 9. These wall sections are preferably one-half the width of the bottom wall and completed top wall, so that the blank may be formed into an open sleeve of rectangular crosssection when in set-up condition.

Fold lines 10, 10 define the bottom from the side walls, and fold lines 11 and 12 separate the walls 6 and 8 and 5 and 7 respectively.

Wall section 9 carries at its free edge a bearingstrip 13 defined from the section 9 by a fold line 14. A U- shaped handle element 15 is cut from the wall section 9 with its terminal portions remaining integral with the bearing strip 13 and joined thereto along fold line 14.

Wall section 8 carries at its free edge a U-shaped han dle element 1'? of a size and shape similar to the handle element 15 but slightly wider for a purpose presently to be explained.

At the sides of the handle element 17 are extended portions 18, 18 which may be of any convenient shape but, for convenience of forming, these portions have their outer edges aligned with theouter edge of the carton blankand their inner edges following the contour of the handle element. These portions constitute attaching fiaps to assist in securing the top Wall. sections together.

The articles to be contained in the carton Will be placed against the bottom wall 5, the side walls 6 and 7 are then folded against the sides of the group of articles. The wall section 9 is then preferably folded against the top faces of the articles and finally, the wall section 8 with handle 17 and portions 18, 18 are folded to lie flat against the section 9 and secured thereagainst.

The handle 17 and portions 18, 18 may be secured conveniently by applying adhesive to these parts just before they are folded to final position. By this means handle element 17 will be secured to handle element 15 and the extended portions or attaching flaps 18, 18 will be secured to the outer face of wall section 9.

Additional securing means may be provided by leaving extended tongue portions 19 and 20 in between the legs of the U-shaped handles. erably formed somewhat. smaller than the tongue 23. This relationship is obtained in the present instance simply due to the fact that the handle element 17 is cut so that its edges will extend beyond the edges of handle element 15.

The handle element 17 also preferably extends beyond the outer edge of the handle element ls when in normal overlapping relation.

Due to this arrangement, when adhesive is applied to the parts 17, 18 and 19, of top section 8 and they are brought down into normal overlapping relation to the parts in top section 9, a small amount of the marginal edge portions of the handle element 17 will tend to adhere to portions of the panel 9 which surround the opening formed by cutting handle section 15, and likewise edge area of adherence of the handle element 17 to wall sec- 1 tion 9 is small it is relatively easy to release the edge portion of handle element 17 from the wall section. As

soon as these parts are released the entire composite handle member can be swung up to carrying position, and j the package is conditioned to be carried ins nuate;

Suitable cuts 22, 22 at the upperand lfower' edges of The tongue 19 is prefthe side walls may be formed to provide retention means for cans to be carried in the carton. The particular retention means however forms no part of the present invention as other suitable meansfor retaining 'articles' in the cartons may be employed.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there is provided' a form of handle carton for groups of cans or other articles which is of simple construction, and which may be easily wrapped and secured in place around a group of articles with the handle parts remaining in fiat position. When the handle parts are secured by adhesive as above described, the handle will remain in fiat position until it is desired to carry the package thereby. It is necessary then only to raise the handle from fiat to upright position, breaking away a narrow area of adhering parts and the handle is ready for instant use.

While thepresent description sets forth a preferred embodirnent of the invention, various changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a handle carton, a bottom wall panel, side wall .panels extending upward from said bottom wall panel, a

top wall comprising an inner panel and an outer panel extending inward from said side wall panels and secured together in overlapping relation, said outer top wall panel being of-materially less width than said bottom wall panel, a first substantially U-shaped handle element cut from said inner top wall panel and integrally attached at its ends thereto,- a first tongue out from and substantially conforming to the interior of said handle element and attached to the portion of said inner top wall panel underlying' said outer top wall panel, a second substantially U-shaped handle element integrally attached at its ends to said outer top wall panel and overlying said first handle element, and a second tongue out from and substantially conforming to the interior of said second handle element and overlying said first tongue, said tongues being adhesively secured together and said first tongue being of greater extent than said second tongue and extending beyond the margin of the latter, said tongues beingdisposed at the-midlength portions of said top wall panels and providing reinforcement therefor, said second handle element seating on and being adhesively secured to the marginal portion of said first tongue extending beyond said second tongue and being exposed at its edge toward the outer edge of said inner top wall panel to facilitate detachment of said second handle element from said first tongue.

2. In a handle carton, a bottom wall panel, side wall panels extending upward from said bottom wall panel, a top wall comprising an inner panel and an outer panel extending inward from said side wall panels and secured together in overlapping relation, said outer top wall panel being of materially less width than said bottom wall panel, a first substantially U-shaped handle element cut from said inner top wall panel and integrally attached at its ends ends thereto, a first tongue cut from and substantially conforming to the interior of said handle element and attached to the portion of said inner top wall panel underlying said outer top wall panel, a second substantially U-shaped handle element integrally attached at its ends to said outer top wall panel and overlying said first han dle element, and a second tongue cut from and substantial- 1y conforming'to the interior of said second handle element and overlying said first tongue, said tongues being element seating on and being secured to said first handle element and also seating onand being adhesively secured to the marginal portion of said first tongue extending beyond said second tongue and being exposed at its edge toward the outer edge of said inner top wall panel to facilitate detachment of said second handle element from 5 id first tongue.

3. In a handle carton, a bottom wall panel, side wall panels extending upward from saidbottom wall panel, a top wall comprising an inner panel and an outer panel ex tending inward from said side wall panels and secured together in overlapping relation, said outer top wall panel being of materially 'less width than said bottom wall panel, a first substantially U-shaped handle element cut from said inner top wall panel and integrally attached at its ends thereto, a first tongue out from and substantially conforming to the interior of said handle element and at tached to the portion of said inner top wall panel underlying said outer top wall panel, a second substantially U- shaped handle element integrally attached at its ends to the inner edge of said outer top wall panel and overlying said first handle element, a second tongue cut from and substantially conforming to the interior of said second handle element and overlying said first tongue, said tongues being adhesively secured together and said first tongue being of greater extent than said second tongue and extending beyond the margin of the latter, said tongues being disposed at the midlength portions of said reinforcing attaching flaps attached to the inner edge of[ said outer top wall panel adjacent the ends of said second handle element and secured to said inner top wall panel providing reinforcement for said top wall, said flaps terminating short of the edge of said second handle eleadhesively secured together and said first tongue being of greater extent than said second tongue and extending beyond the margin of the latter, said tongues being disposed at the midlength portions of said top wall panels and providing reinforcement therefor, said second handle inent remote from the inner edge of said outer top wallpanel to expose said edge of said second handle element to facilitate detachment of said second handle element from said first tongue. I

4. In a handle carton, a bottom wall panel, side wall panels extending upward from said bottom wall panel, a

tached to the portion of said inner top wall'panel underlying said outer top wall panel, a second substantially U- shaped handle element integrally attached at its ends to said outer top wall panel and overlying said first handle element, and a second tongue cut from and substantiallyv conforming to the interior of said second handle element and overlying said first tongue, said tongues being adhesively secured together and said first tongue being of greater extent than said second tongue and extending beyond the margin of the latter, said tongues being disposed at the midlength portions of said top Wall panels and providing reinforcement'therefor, said second handle element being of greater extent than and extending beyond the margin of said first handle element, said second handle element seating at its inner and outer marginal portions on the outer marginal portion of said first tongue and the marginal portion of said inner top wall panel adjacent the opening therein corresponding to said first handle element respectively and being adhesively secured thereto with'the edge of said second handle element toward the outer edge of said inner top'wall panel exposed from said inner top wall panel and first tongue.

5 5. In a handle carton, a bottom wall panel, side wall panels extending upward from said bottom wall panel, a

top wall comprising an inner panel and an outer panel extending inward from said side wall panels and secured together in overlapping relation, said outer top wall panel being of materially less width than said bottom wall panel, a first substantially U-shaped handle element cut from said inner top Wall panel and integrally attached at its ends thereto, a first tongue cut from and substantially conforming to the interior of said handle element and attached to the portion of said inner top wall panel underlying said outer top Wall panel, a second substantially U-shaped handle element integrally attached at its ends to said outer top wall panel and overlying said first handle element, and a second tongue cut from the interior of said second handle element and overlying and secured to said first tongue, said tongues being disposed at the midlength portions of said top wall panels and providing reinforcement therefor, said second handle element be- 6 ing of greater extent than and adhesively secured to said first handle element and extending marginally beyond the latter, the marginal portion of said second handle element extending beyond said first handle element seating on and being adhesively secured to the marginal portion of said inner top wall panel defining the opening therein corresponding to said first handle element and the edge of said second handle element toward the outer edge of said inner top wall panel being exposed to facilitate detachment of said second handle element from said last mentioned panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,400,443 Stopper May 14, 1946 2,656,960 Carruth Oct. 27, 1953 2,790,590 Toensmeier Apr. 30, 1957 2,792,146 Zastrow May 14, 1957 

